The best eSIM for Poland depends on your trip. If you stay in Poland, a Poland data plan sized to your days is the simplest choice. If you also visit Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia or Lithuania, a Europe eSIM covers them all with one plan. And if you need a phone number for calls and texts, pick a Bouygues Telecom Europe plan with a French +33 number. You install the eSIM at home and it connects when you land in Warsaw, Kraków or Gdańsk. This guide compares the eSIMs for Poland sold on SimOptions by trip length, data, coverage and phone number, using the current plan details on our Poland eSIM page.
Short on time? Here are three plans for three typical trips: a week in Poland, two weeks in Poland, and two weeks with a phone number and room to cross into other European countries.
Poland 10GB (data only, 7 days) · Poland 20GB (data only, 15 days) · Travel Basic+ (French +33 number, 15 days, 46 countries) · See all eSIMs for Poland
What is the best eSIM for Poland? Quick comparison
SimOptions sells three kinds of prepaid eSIMs that work in Poland. Here is how they compare.
Poland data plans (1 GB to 100 GB)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days, 50 GB for 30 days, 60 GB for 90 days and 100 GB for 180 days.
- Countries: Poland only.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G and 5G.
- Top-ups: available.
SimOptions Europe data plans (1 GB to 50 GB)
- Data and days: 1 GB or 3 GB for 3 days, 5 GB or 10 GB for 7 days, 20 GB for 15 days and 50 GB for 30 days.
- Countries: 34, including Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania and Ukraine.
- Phone number: no. Data only.
- Speed: 4G/LTE.
- Top-ups: available.
Bouygues Telecom Europe plans (15 GB to 120 GB)
- Data and days: Travel Basic 15 GB and Travel Basic+ 20 GB for 15 days, My European eSIM 30 GB, 60 GB or 120 GB for 30 days.
- Countries: 46, including Poland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Lithuania. Ukraine isn't on the list.
- Phone number: Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe. Travel Basic is data only.
- Speed: 5G where available.
- Top-ups: not available, so pick enough data and days for your trip.
Every plan is prepaid with no contract. You get your eSIM by email as a QR code. Once installed, it activates automatically when you arrive in a covered country. If you don't use it within a year of buying it, it expires.
Which eSIM is best for your Poland trip?
Start with how long you stay, then ask yourself two questions: do you cross a border, and do you need a phone number?
City break (up to a week): Poland 3GB, 5GB or 10GB
For a long weekend in Kraków, Warsaw or Gdańsk, a small Poland plan covers maps, messages, ride apps and browsing. The 3 GB plan lasts 3 days, the 5 GB and 10 GB plans last 7 days. If you run low, you can top up.
Two weeks in Poland: Poland 20GB
For a longer holiday, say Kraków, Zakopane and a few days on the Baltic coast, Poland 20GB gives you 20 GB for 15 days, and you can top it up.
A month or a long stay: Poland 50GB, 60GB or 100GB
Studying, working remotely or visiting family for the summer? Poland 50GB lasts 30 days. Poland 60GB lasts 90 days and Poland 100GB lasts 180 days, so you don't need a new eSIM every month. All three can be topped up.
You need a phone number: Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM
The Poland plans are data only. You can still call and text with WhatsApp, FaceTime or iMessage, see how to make calls with a data-only eSIM. If a hotel, a tour guide or a car rental desk needs to call or text you on a normal number, Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM give you a French +33 number with unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, Polish numbers included. The plan details list calls and SMS within Europe only, so calls to the US, Canada or Australia aren't included. Our guide to Europe eSIMs with a phone number explains when you really need one.
Visiting Germany, Czechia or Lithuania too? Pick one eSIM for the trip
Many Poland trips don't stop at the border. You take the train from Kraków to Prague, drive on to Berlin or head north to Vilnius. A Poland plan only works in Poland. A Europe eSIM keeps you online in all of them, so you don't need a new eSIM in each country.
- Europe 20GB (SimOptions): 20 GB for 15 days in 34 countries, including Poland and all its EU neighbours, plus Ukraine. Data only, 4G/LTE, top-ups available. When we checked, the Poland plans cost a little less than the Europe plans of the same size, so if you only visit Poland, the Poland plan is the better deal.
- Travel Basic (Bouygues Telecom): 15 GB for 15 days in 46 countries. Data only, 5G.
- My European eSIM 30GB (Bouygues Telecom): 30 GB for 30 days in the same 46 countries, with a French +33 number.
Europe 20GB (SimOptions, data only, 34 countries) · Travel Basic and My European eSIM 30GB (Bouygues Telecom, 46 countries, My European eSIM adds a French +33 number) · See all eSIMs for Europe or the Germany, Czech Republic and Lithuania pages
Our guide on how to use an eSIM in Europe explains how one eSIM works across borders, and our guide to the best eSIM for Europe compares more options for a longer trip.
Do you need a travel eSIM for Poland?
Your phone plan is from the EU: you roam like at home
Poland is in the EU. If your phone plan is from another EU country, "roam like at home" applies: you use your calls, texts and data in Poland at your domestic price, within your carrier's fair use limits. The same rules cover Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, plus Moldova and Ukraine (Your Europe: Mobile roaming costs). So check your plan first. A travel eSIM still helps if your plan has a small data allowance abroad.
You're coming from the US, the UK, Canada or Australia
Roam like at home doesn't apply to plans from outside the EU and the countries listed above, and that includes UK plans. Your carrier sets its own roaming prices in Poland, so check them before you go. A travel eSIM gives you local data at a fixed prepaid price, while your home SIM stays on your phone for texts and security codes.
Local SIM cards and eSIMs in Poland
You can also buy a Polish prepaid line from Play, Plus or T-Mobile. In Poland, you have to register a new prepaid SIM before you can use it. Plus says a new SIM must be registered before you use any services, and if you don't have a PESEL (a Polish ID number), you give the number of your passport or another ID document (Plus: starter and eSIM). Play says foreigners can register with a passport, without a PESEL or a Polish address, in stores or online (Play: prepaid for foreigners). Our guide to the best prepaid SIM card for Poland compares the local options.
A local line makes sense if you move to Poland or need a +48 number. For a holiday or a business trip, a travel eSIM you install before you leave is quicker: no shop visit and no registration on arrival.
How much data do you need in Poland?
As a rough guide:
- 3 to 5 days: 1 GB to 5 GB for maps, messages and some browsing.
- 7 to 15 days: 10 GB to 20 GB, enough for social media, photos and some video calls.
- 15 to 30 days: 20 GB to 50 GB, or more if you stream or work online.
Planning to share your connection with a laptop or a travel companion's phone? Our Poland eSIM page says hotspot sharing is allowed. Hotspot uses data fast, so go a size up.
Where you'll use your eSIM in Poland
Poland has old towns, a Baltic coastline, mountains and a lot of castles. A few places from our original guide, with what to know before you go:
Gdańsk
Gdańsk sits on the Baltic coast in northern Poland, with a historic waterfront and old town. Top tips are Oliwa Park, Westerplatte and the Museum of the Second World War. Westerplatte, a branch of the museum, marks the place where the Second World War broke out (Museum of the Second World War). Walking, history and bus tours help you learn more about the city.
Słowiński National Park
This protected stretch of coast is known for its moving dunes, up to 40 m high, which shift about 3 to 10 m a year and can bury the forest behind them. The park also includes Łebsko, Poland's third-largest lake, and it's a good place to spot birds (Słowiński National Park). Park tickets are sold online.
Malbork Castle
Poland is a land of castles, and Malbork is the one to see. Built by the Teutonic Order, it is the largest brick castle in the world, with a site of 21 hectares (Guinness World Records). It has three parts, the High Castle, the Middle Castle and the Low Castle, and it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997 (Malbork Castle Museum: history). The castle is huge, so plan to spend most of the day there.
Zakopane and the Tatra Mountains
Often called Poland's winter capital, Zakopane mixes outdoor fun, mountain views and local traditions. It's the gateway to Tatra National Park, with 275 km of marked hiking trails and Rysy, Poland's highest peak at 2,499 m (Tatra National Park). Signal can drop on high trails, so download offline maps before a hike.
Morskie Oko
Morskie Oko is a mountain lake surrounded by the rocky peaks of the Tatras, with clear water and often snow on the peaks around it. It's busiest in summer. The park recommends buying park entry and parking tickets online in advance, especially for the car parks near Morskie Oko (Tatra National Park: e-tickets). That's one more reason to have data on your phone before you set off.
Is your phone compatible?
Your phone must support eSIM and be unlocked. Dial *#06#: if you see an EID number, your phone supports eSIM. On iPhone, eSIM works on the iPhone XS, XS Max, XR and later (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM). For Android phones, see our guide to checking eSIM compatibility. If you bought your phone from a carrier, ask it to unlock the phone before you travel.
How to set up your eSIM for Poland
- Buy your plan and get your QR code by email.
- Install it at home on Wi-Fi before you fly. Step-by-step help: how to install an eSIM and Apple's guide to setting up eSIM on iPhone.
- Label the line "Poland" or "Travel" so you can tell it apart from your home line.
- When you arrive, the eSIM connects automatically. Choose it as your line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. On iPhone, go to Settings > Cellular (or Mobile Data) > Cellular Data and pick the travel eSIM (Apple: Using Dual SIM with an eSIM).
- Turn off data roaming on your home line, so it can't use data abroad.
No signal after you arrive? Our guide on what to do when your eSIM is not activating walks you through the fixes.
FAQs
What is the best eSIM for Poland?
It depends on your trip. For a week in Poland, Poland 5GB or 10GB. For two weeks, Poland 20GB. For a long stay, Poland 60GB or 100GB. If you also visit neighbouring countries, Europe 20GB or Travel Basic. If you need a phone number, Travel Basic+ or My European eSIM from Bouygues Telecom.
Is there a Polish eSIM for tourists?
Yes. The SimOptions Poland plans are data-only travel eSIMs you buy online and install before you go, with no registration in Poland. A Polish carrier's eSIM gives you a +48 number, but you have to register it with an ID document such as your passport.
Does a Poland eSIM work in Germany or the Czech Republic?
No. The Poland plans only cover Poland. For a trip that crosses borders, pick a Europe plan instead.
Does my EU phone plan work in Poland?
Yes. Poland is in the EU, so a plan from another EU country roams like at home there, within your carrier's fair use limits. Plans from the UK, the US, Canada or Australia follow their carrier's roaming prices.
Can I get an eSIM for Poland with calls?
Yes. Travel Basic+ and My European eSIM come with a French +33 number and unlimited calls and SMS within Europe, including calls to Polish numbers. The Poland plans are data only.
What is the cheapest eSIM for Poland?
The smallest plan, Poland 1GB for 3 days, is the cheapest one on our Poland eSIM page. For a longer trip, pick the plan that matches your days and data, so you don't pay for more than you use.
Can I top up my Poland eSIM?
The Poland and SimOptions Europe data plans can be topped up. The Bouygues Telecom plans can't, so choose enough data and days before you go.
Can I keep my own number and WhatsApp?
Yes. On a dual SIM phone, your home line stays on next to the travel eSIM. WhatsApp keeps your usual number and works over the eSIM's data.
